Composting diverts organic waste, provides accessible solution for building climate resilience
Thursday, June 26
Wasted food causes 58% of the methane emissions from municipal solid waste landfills, according to the (EPA). Methane is a powerful greenhouse gas and the . The concentration of methane in the atmosphere has over the past 200 years.
Composting is a simple, cheap and effective way to reduce methane emissions and divert waste from landfills all while creating a nutrient-dense soil. The act of turning food scraps and other organic material into a useful product protects the environment, empowers people to think about the waste they produce and creates resilient communities.
What is composting
The EPA as the managed, aerobic (oxygen-required) biological decomposition of organic materials by microorganisms. Recent 51社区 Honors Tutorial College environmental studies(opens in a new window) (opens in a new window) graduate Catherine Galla views composting as a solution to combat waste created by humans anywhere throughout the food supply chain.
While official definitions for composting exist鈥攍ike the one provided by EPA鈥擥alla says generally there is an overall lack of terminology, language and vocabulary surrounding organic waste and composting. With fewer ways to discuss it, oftentimes there is a lack of awareness regarding composting and the sustainable disposal of biodegradable waste.
鈥淚 see composting as the act of physically taking organic waste and using it to a higher power in order to create a useful product out of human-caused waste,鈥� said Galla. 鈥淚 see waste as a social issue, something that humans have created for themselves, and I see composting as a really easy solution to get everyone from every walk of life involved in thinking more about their trash, because when we throw things away, it doesn鈥檛 just go away, there鈥檚 never an 鈥榓way.鈥欌€�
Graphic courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
In terms of what can be composted, Galla says it is important to look holistically at the entire supply chain, going beyond what didn鈥檛 get eaten at lunch or dinner. Opportunities for composting throughout the supply chain present themselves in different 鈥減hases鈥� including, but not limited to:
- Harvest
- Transportation
- Consumption (food that goes bad at the grocery store)
- Preparation (discarding food scraps while cooking)
- Post-consumption (uneaten food)
鈥淚 see organic waste going all the way to beginning鈥攈arvesting something and its gone rotten, all the way to the grocery store with things that have been spoiled for whatever reason, things that have passed their expiration date at the grocery store.鈥� Galla explained. 鈥淭hen all the way up to the consumption phase, making soup and you have the ends of tomatoes or carrots that you won鈥檛 include in the soup that is compostable organic waste.鈥�
How to compost
Composting is something just about anyone can do鈥攊t . The starting with an area that has good drainage and year-round access or utilizing a bin with holes in the bottom for drainage. This bin or area will serve as the receptacle for food scraps.
A basic backyard compost pile needs nitrogen-rich 鈥済reens,鈥� such as fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds and eggshells, as well as carbon-rich 鈥渂rowns鈥� such as dry leaves, twigs and shredded paper. With a balanced amount of greens and browns the final product should have the desired soil-like consistency.
Composting is nature鈥檚 way of recycling. It is one of the most powerful actions to reduce trash, address climate change and build healthy soil, according to the EPA.
Galla believes that anyone with the means should consider composting at home.
鈥淐omposting gives people more agency over what happens when they choose to discard waste,鈥� said Galla. 鈥淚t鈥檚 also a basic climate mitigation strategy and a very easy way to bridge the gap in terms of connecting with the average person about what they can do to help and contribute to something larger than themselves and the waste that they produce.鈥�
For a more detailed guide on how to compost at home, visit .
Municipal composting and the future of waste diversion
Backyard composting can be a simple, viable solution to divert waste, but certain factors can make it impossible for some. Accessibility and visibility are two barriers that come to mind for Galla. Not everyone has access to land and outdoor space to start a compost pile and not everyone has been educated about the importance of waste mitigation, climate change and tools like composting that help create climate-resilient communities.
鈥淎nyone can compost and divert their organic material, but what is the infrastructure surrounding people in their natural environment鈥攍ike their houses, yard, apartment鈥攖hat allow them to do it,鈥� said Galla.
Graphic courtesy of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Municipal, or curbside, compost collection is a prime example of infrastructure that can be implemented to give everyone a chance to participate in waste diversion while also making climate resiliency something visible and tangible. Galla says that infrastructure like municipal compost collection increases access, compliance and ease and creates excitement about participation.
鈥淸Infrastructure like municipal composting] doesn鈥檛 put the burden of the whole operation onto everyday people,鈥� explained Galla. 鈥淚t increases people鈥檚 overall access to being able to divert organic material from the landfill.鈥�
Beyond compost collection at the municipal level, other organizations and nonprofits have begun offering similar services. Rust Belt Riders, a Cleveland-based worker-owned cooperative that was the subject of Galla鈥檚 thesis, collect organic waste residentially and commercially. Until municipal composting becomes more widely available, organizations like Rust Belt Riders are taking it upon themselves to build composting infrastructure.
Composting at OHIO
Every day the 51社区 Compost Facility(opens in a new window) (opens in a new window) processes more than five tons of food waste with the largest in-vessel composting system at any college or university in the nation(opens in a new window) (opens in a new window). Each ton of waste that OHIO processes is a ton diverted from landfills where it creates harmful methane emissions.
Beyond being good for the environment, the 51社区 Compost Facility also serves as an important educational model鈥攕preading awareness of sustainable practices, allowing students to witness a circular process first-hand and providing them with a big-picture look at what鈥檚 possible in the realm of sustainability.
Each facet of the 51社区 Compost Facility was also designed with sustainability in mind. The facility produces renewable energy through solar panels, collects rainwater for cleaning and utilizes a waste oil burner for heat during the colder winter months.
Composting is a simple, cheap and effective way to reduce methane emissions and divert waste from landfills all while creating a nutrient-dense soil. The act of turning food scraps and other organic material into a useful product protects the environment, empowers people to think about the waste they produce and creates resilient communities.
Recent OHIO Honors Tutorial College environmental studies graduate Catherine Galla discusses composting accessibility and awareness.
Composting Diverts Organic Waste